A routine burglary call in San Mateo, California, led to an unexpected and sticky situation for a local police officer who encountered a sizable rat.
Responding to an alarm on Wednesday, the officer found no signs of a break-in but instead came into contact with a rodent, according to a statement from the San Mateo Police Department posted on Facebook. The officer's reaction, described by the department as screaming "like a teenage girl watching her favorite boy band perform," escalated when his attempt to evade the animal resulted in him becoming trapped in five sticky rat traps.
Images shared by the police department showed the traps adhered to the officer's boots. His partner reportedly arrived on the scene without full knowledge of the circumstances and, despite feeling the rat scurry across his own boot, maintained his composure.
The rat managed to escape and remains at large. The officer was freed from the traps and returned to duty. Police humorously noted that the rat traps were effective, suggesting that if an actual burglar had been present, the rodent might have apprehended them.